Doctor Khumalo: Bafana Bafana weren't looking like a team going to score

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South Africa failed to score any goals from open play in their 2-0 win against Sao Tome and Principe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium

Legendary Bafana Bafana midfielder Doctor Khumalo says it's concerning South Africa did not pose more of a threat to the Sao Tome and Principe defence on Friday night.

Bafana ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to second half goals from Percy Tau and Bongani Zungu, in their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

The home side however were unconvincing and for the most part did not overly trouble the Sao Tome and Principe back-line.

Sao Tome and Principe, ranked 182nd in the world - 110 places below Bafana Bafana, certainly made South Africa work hard for victory. And in the end the hosts had to rely on a penalty (Tau) and a set-piece goal (Zungu scored with a header from a corner right at the end of the game) to see them to maximum points.

"We are talking about a player that used individual brilliance, because clearly we weren't looking like a team that was going to score," Khumalo said during a post-match discussion in the SABC studio. "But he (Tau) forced a foul inside the box and we were awarded [a penalty] and then he scored it."

While Bafana improved their performance in the final 25 minutes of the match, the opening 45 minutes had seen the visiting side having the better of the attacking stats.

“No sense of urgency and no tactical discipline. They (Sao Tome and Principe) had more entries inside the box than we did,” Khumalo said at the recess.

Fellow analyst and former Orlando Pirates striker, Phumudzo Manenzhe, also criticised South Africa’s first half showing.

“One word to describe Bafana’s performance in the first half - disjointed,” he said. “No fluency in the attack going forward. They were not compact at the back. You are looking at a Sao Tome team, who had more chances on goal (first half). Bafana Bafana only two shots, zero on target, playing at home against a low ranking team.”

Bafana Bafana will meet Sao Tome and Principe for the second time when they clash in Port Elizabeth on Monday afternoon.

2020-11-14 10:00:02

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